KPop's Frontiers: How Does the Big 3 Teach Foreign Languages to Their Trainees?

By Lana Kim | February 07, 2012 10:40 PM EST

Kpop Star (Photo : .)

Recently, with SNSD's groundbreaking appearance in U.S. shows, their excellent English attracted attentions. The so-called Big 3 Entertainment companies, SM, JYP, and YG all have their own strategies to train their idol stars in foreign languages.

SM provides selected members with opportunities to study abroad. Super Junior Choi Shiwon and SNSD Hyoyun had one year of language training in China before their debuts.

YG Entertainment: School system and regular classes.

Language classes are an essential part of YG's training program. Big Bang members all took regular classes, every day. They studied Japanese most intensively to prepare for their activities in Japan.

JYP Entertainment: One-on-one training.

JYP is particularly known for their "strategies" in language training of their idols. For example, as the U.S. activities of Wonder Girls were planned, the members all had intense one-on-one English training to prepare for their U.S. debut. It’s common most idol groups have "native speakers" or fluent foreign language speakers within the groups through whom the other members can learn. SNDS's Jessica and Tiffany, Big Bang's Taeyang, 2NE1's CL and Sandara Park are such examples.